Best Trees and Shrubs for Catkins and Tassels

Trees and shrubs displaying attractive dangling catkins or furry flowers which cry out to be gently stroked tend to receive most attention in late winter/early spring. Later in the year they tend to be overshadowed by the blousy blooms of larger flowered shrubs, perennials and bedding plants. The keen gardener who appreciates their subtle charms will search out those catkin bearers able to continue the show throughout the year.

Shrubs With Catkins in Winter/Spring

Hazels are grown for their foliage and yellow male catkins. The filberts (Corylus maxima and C.avellena) also produce edible nuts. They are large easy to grow shrubs.

• Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ commonly known as the corkscrew hazel or Harry Lauder’s walking stick is prized for its charming pale yellow lamb’s tail catkins which hang from the coiled and twisted shoots. It is particularly effective in late winter and useful for flower arranging.
• Corylus maxima (filbert) is an upright shrub. Pendant yellow catkins are borne in late winter.
• Corylus maxima’Purpurea’ has dark purple foliage and purple tinged catkins.

The beautiful Stachyurus chinensis and S. praecox can hardly be told apart. Their virtually weatherproof yellow, bell-like flowers are carried in stiff drooping trails some 10cm long in late winter to early spring.

Trees and Shrubs With Furry Flowers in Spring

The willows bear bear very small flowers in usually erect catkins, before or with the foliage.

• Salix caprea ‘Pendula’ (Kilmarnock willow) makes a weeping tree with a stout head of yellow brown shoots. Grey male catkins with yellow anthers appear in mid to late spring.
• Salix gracilistylus is the spectacular pussy willow. It makes a spreading bushy shrub with arching branches which boast amber-red spring flowers that turn to yellow as they split and release their pollen.
• S. gracilistylus ‘Melanostychys‘ is even more dramatic with its black catkins and brick-red anthers which open to yellow.

Shrubs With Catkins in Late Summer/Autumn

Itea ilicifolia is an evergreen shrub with dark green holly-like leaves. It is best grown against a warm wall. from late summer into autumn it displays long narrow tassels of whitish, honey scented flowers.

Trees With Attractive Catkins

Some of the birches, alders and poplars which thrive in boggy or moist soil are well endowed with catkins.

• Betula utilis var jacquemontii produces large yellow-brown male catkins in spring.
• Populus maximowiczii carries spring catkins on the female which ripen to fluffy white in late summer.Alders have conspicuous male catkins and smaller female ones.
• Alnus glutinosa (common alder) has groups of 3-5 pendent yellow-brown male catkins in late winter or early spring.

Buy These and Other Trees and Shrubs Noted for Catkins

All the worthy hardy woody plants described above can be purchased at most good garden centres and from nurseries including Blubell arboretum and nursery and Weasdale nurseries.